# Date: 1917—01

"B[ourgeois] w[ar]," ed. 5, p. 67: "Der C[ivil] w[ar of the] 18 Br[umaire]," ed. 4, S. 10—11,—b[ourgeois] r[evolution]s (18th c[entury]) constantly critique themselves, "mock with cruel thoroughness the half-measures etc.* of their first attempts... shrink... before the indefinite enormousness of their own purposes" (11)...

"A[UFLAGE], ST[UTTGART] 1894. (PREFACE TO THE 4TH EDITION 16.VI.1891.)

...«The State is therefore by no means a power imposed on society from without; nor is it «the reality of the Moral Idea», «the image and reality of Reason», as Hegel maintains. Rather, it is a product of society at a definite stage of development; it is the confession that this society has become entangled in an irresolvable contradiction with itself (S. 177—178), has split into irreconcilable opposites which it is powerless to dispel. But in order that these opposites, classes with conflicting economic interests, should not consume themselves and society in a fruitless struggle, a power seemingly standing above society became necessary,

«national 
war»= 
«governmental 
swindling»

the highest heroic outburst of which the old society is still capable, is national war, and this now proves to be nothing but sheer governmental swindling, which has no other purpose than to postpone the class struggle, and which flies to the winds the moment the class struggle flares up in civil war.»

Fr. Engels: "The Origin of the Family, Private Property, and the State"

* In "The 18th Brumaire" after the word "Halbheiten" there are also the words: "Schwachen und Erbarmlichkeiten". —Editor.

Engels: The Origin of the State, etc.

«national 
war»= 
«governmental 
swindling»
bourgeois and 
proletarian 
revolutions

"Civil War," ed. 3, p. 67:
"The greatest heroic feat of which the old world was still capable is national war; but now this too proves to be nothing but sheer governmental swindling; this swindling has no other purpose than to postpone the class struggle, and it flies to the devil the moment the class struggle flares up in a conflagration of civil war."

"The 18th Brumaire," ed. 4, p. 10—11,—bourgeois revolutions (XVIII century) proceed from success to success, they are "short-lived" etc.; "proletarian revolutions, revolutions of the XIX century constantly critique themselves, mockingly and without mercy strip bare the half-measures etc. of their first attempts... stumble... before the indefinite colossality of their own tasks" (11)...

FR. ENGELS: "THE ORIGIN OF THE FAMILY, PRIVATE PROPERTY, AND THE STATE"

6TH EDITION, STUTTGART 1894. (PREFACE TO THE 4TH EDITION 16.VI.1891.)

"The State in no way represents a power imposed on society from without. The State is not «the reality of the moral idea», «the image and reality of reason», as Hegel asserts. The State is the product of society at a definite stage of development; the State is the confession that this society has become entangled in an irresolvable contradiction with itself, has split into irreconcilable opposites, from which it is powerless to free itself. And in order that these opposites, classes with contradictory economic interests, should not devour one another and society in fruitless struggle, for this there became necessary a power standing, apparently, above society, a power which would

NB:
armed
population

"self-acting
armed
organization"

"armed men +
prisons +
compulsory
institutions"

dampen the conflict, keep it within the bounds of "order"; and this power, arising from society but placing itself above it, increasingly alienating itself from it, is the State. [372]

"In comparison with the old gentile (clan) organization, the State is distinguished, first, by the division of the subjects of the State according to territorial divisions"... [374] (to us this division seems "natural," but it cost a long struggle against the old organization by clans, tribes)...

"The second distinguishing feature is the establishment of a public power (public authority, public? power), which no longer directly coincides with the population organizing itself as an armed force. This special public power is necessary because a self-acting armed organization of the population has become impossible since the split of society into classes... This public power exists in every State. It consists not only of armed men, but also of material adjuncts, prisons and compulsory institutions of all kinds, which were unknown to gentile clan society... [374] Sometimes this public power is weak (in Northern America in some places)... It strengthens itself, however, to the extent that class contradictions within the State sharpen, and as the States bordering one another become larger and more populous. Just look at present-day

NB:
armed 
population

"self-acting 
armed 
organization"

"armed men +
prisons +
compulsory
institutions"

Europe, where

NB:
"competition of
conquests" in
contemporary
Europe

class struggle and conquest-competition have screwed up the public power to such a height that it threatens to devour the whole of society and even the State itself." (179).

... For the maintenance of public power taxes are needed—and state debts...

How does conquest-competition differ from imperialism?—In foreign policy of annexations, not at all.—Ergo, in 1891 Engels recognized both conquest-competition and "national defense" in Germany!! ("Socialism in Germany" in *Neue Zeit* 1891/2, vol. X, 1).—Yes, but in 1891 a war on Germany's part would have been defensive. That is the essence. Conquest-competition has always existed, in all States, because all States are organs of class rule. But not all wars between States were caused by conquest-competition!! That is one point. And not all on both sides. That is a second point.

..."In possession of the public power and the right of tax-collection, officials now stand as organs of society above society. The free, voluntary respect, which was accorded to the organs of gentile society, is no longer sufficient for them—even if they could obtain it" (179)... [376] special laws about their holiness and inviolability,... even the most wretched police officer has more "authority" than the organs of the clan, yet even the head of military power etc. could envy the

NB:

gentile elder possessing the "unforced respect" of society.

"Since the State arose from the need to hold the antagonism of classes in check; since it arose at the same time in the midst of the conflict of these classes, it is, as a rule, the State of the most powerful, economically dominant class, which by means of the State becomes also the politically dominant class and acquires thereby new means for the suppression and exploitation of the oppressed class".... Ancient, Feudal State... so... "the modern representative State is the instrument for exploiting wage-labor by capital. As an exception, however, periods occur when the struggling classes balance each other so nearly that the State power assumes for the moment a certain independence as against both" (180)... [376—7] (Absolute monarchy of the XVII and XVIII centuries; Bonapartism 1st and 2nd Empire, Bismarck).

Usually—census. In the democratic republic "wealth exercises its power indirectly, but all the more surely":... (1) "direct bribery of officials" (America); (2) "alliance between government and the stock exchange" (France and America).